Shillong, Jan 23: South Shillong MLA and cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai discussed a range of issues with members of the central government on his recent visit to New Delhi.
With Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Shullai sought approval for the relocation of Sikh families in Them Ïewmawlong to defence land.
There have been two proposals for the relocation of the residents of Them Ïewmawlong, who are mostly but not exclusively employed by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB). One is to move them near the SMB office in the European Ward and the other is to re-house them on unutilised land in the Shillong Cantonment, which is nearer to their present location.
Shullai also discussed infrastructure projects, including a flyover, hawkers market, football ground and drainage system, with Singh and Nitin Gadkari, who holds various portfolios, including Road Transport and Highways.
Shullai also met the Director Estate Defence, Jyoti Sobha Gupta, about the building by-laws of the Shillong Cantonment Board, which was approved recently but is still lying with the Union Ministry of Defence pending the latter’s approval.
Shullai said that the Defence Minister told him that he will take a personal initiative to consider all issues concerning the speedy allotment of defence land to the state to enable it complete road infrastructure projects.
He also discussed the issue of reducing the tax fixed by the Cantonment Board, through the approval of the Union Finance Ministry.
In one of his earlier meetings, Shullai, as Arts and Culture Minister, met Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with regards to setting up of an ‘Indigenous Traditional Complex’.
The proposed complex will be set up on land belonging to the Arts and Culture Department adjacent to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Mawlai.
Shullai said that the central government has accepted the proposal and a meeting will be convened by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to finalise the matter after Republic Day.
